Temecula remembers 9/11 with ceremonies and meeting

TEMECULA - The setting sun beamed in the sky and its rays
bounced off the surface of the Temecula Duck Pond as more than 200
hundred people gathered for Tuesday's ceremonies remembering the
Sept. 11 terrorist attacks that took place six years past.

There were marching bands, lighted candles and statue
re-dedications, but much of the reflection on 9/11 took place in
the personal space formed by people talking to one another.

Suzanne and Tom Burnside of Temecula stood near the water's edge
with their two young children, both born after the world-changing
events of 2001. Tom Burnside said that, though his 3 1/2-year-old
daughter and 6-month-old son would never know of life before Sept.
11, they would learn to respect that day.

"I think their perception of 9/11 would be similar to those of
my generation who grew up in the post-Vietnam era," he said.
"They'll learn about it from history books, but it's also important
that they learn to remember from events like this of what that day
was really all about."

There was also the couple's personal remembrance that will serve
as a tool to teach of the past.

"We were living in apartments on Rancho California Road and our
alarm clock was our television set," Suzanne Burnside recalled. "It
was about 6 a.m., and the first images we saw that day were of the
(World Trade Center) towers on fire. We just didn't know what to
do. That was also the week of our one-year wedding anniversary. We
were supposed to fly to Boston that week on American Airlines. We
never went."

While the intensity of the day has diminished for some, the
spirit of goodwill that followed the traumatic attacks was still
strong Tuesday. Seven members of a delegation from Temecula's
sister city, Leidschendam-Voorburg, the Netherlands, were at the
park for the rededication of the "Singing in the Rain" statue.

The statue was donated by the people of Leidschendam-Voorburg
following the terrorist attacks of 2001. The statue depicts a
mother and two children holding umbrellas as they ride a single
bike. Though the art work portrays them encountering rain and heavy
winds, they keep going forward. The intended message is that
America and Temecula have weathered the storm of terrorism and are
staying strong.

"This is both a ceremony of remembrance and a celebration," said
Temecula Mayor Chuck Washington. "May we never forget the lives
lost on 9/11 and the global war on terrorism. But let us also
celebrate our Sister Cities relationships, so we may continue to
better understand nations around the world and one another."

After the rededication, members of the public gathered at the
edge of the pond to light candles that were sent floating into the
waters.

Bill and Arlene Bradford of Temecula watched the ceremonies from
a hillside perch.

"It's sad to look back on it," Bill Bradford said. "I thought
the ceremonies would be more reflective. But it was good to be out
here with others in the community."